So as a follow up, no luck looking for a Cortland Retro in my area (no one carries Cortland reels).
I went with jimsnarocks suggestion after I attached one of my reels onto the rod with elastic bands.(Silver Creek's suggestion to try it first)
The 3 wt seems to be the line of choice.
Bass pro has a small reel (3/4) for $34 and with a little work with the Dremel tool it fits like a charm.
This whole exercise could be the top of a slippery slope because I really really like it.
Geoff